Daikon

A Novel

De: Samuel Hawley

Narrado por: Brian Nishii

“A riveting tale about war, intrigue, love, and perseverance.” —John Grisham

“Absorbing...Unfolds like a detective novel...The story barrels ahead urgently...Duty, anger, sorrow, conscience and even hope mix together to form the novel’s bracingly intimate ending.” —The Wall Street Journal

“What if not two but three atomic bombs wound up in the Pacific theater?...Hawley’s impeccably detailed narrative offers an unnerving fictional answer...The novel’s tension mounts in highly cinematic fashion, despite our awareness of what the history books tell us.” —The New York Times

“Thrilling...Builds to a pulse-pounding climax. The result is the most imaginative take on Hiroshima since Edwin Corley’s The Jesus Factor.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A sweeping and suspenseful novel of love and war, set in Japan during the final days of World War II, with a shocking historical premise: three atomic bombs were actually delivered to the Pacific—not two—and when one of them falls into the hands of the Japanese, the fate of a couple that has been separated from one another becomes entangled with the fate of this terrifying new device.

War has taken everything from physicist Keizo Kan. His young daughter was killed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid, and now his Japanese American wife, Noriko, has been imprisoned by the brutal Thought Police. An American bomber, downed over Japan on the first day of August 1945, offers the scientist a surprising chance at salvation. The Imperial Army dispatches him to examine an unusual device recovered from the plane’s wreckage—a bomb containing uranium—and tells him that if he can unlock its mysteries, his wife will be released.

Working in secrecy under crushing pressure, Kan begins to disassemble the bomb and study its components. One of his assistants falls ill after mishandling the uranium, but his alarming deterioration, and Kan’s own symptoms, are ignored by the commanding officer demanding results. Desperate to stave off Japan’s surrender to the Allies, the army will stop at nothing to harness the weapon’s unimaginable power. They order Kan to prepare the bomb for manual detonation over a target—a suicide mission that will strike a devastating blow against the Americans. Kan is soon confronted with a series of agonizing decisions that will test his courage, his loyalty, and his very humanity.

An extraordinary debut novel that is the result of twenty-seven years of work by its author, Daikon is a gripping and powerfully moving saga that calls to mind such classics as Cold Mountain. It is set amid the chaos and despair of the world’s third largest city lying in ruins, its population starving and its leadership under escalating assault from without and within. Here is a haunting epic of love, survival, and impossible choices that introduces a singular new voice on the literary landscape.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Brian Nishii is the perfect narrator for this outstanding alternate history. A U.S. bomber carrying an atomic bomb heads for Japan in early August 1945, but the B-29 crashes and the undetonated bomb falls into the hands of the Japanese. Nishii’s performance is riveting as he delivers the events that follow. The Japanese don’t know what the bomb resembling a “big, black daikon radish” is, but they soon discover it contains uranium. Nishii’s Japanese accents deliver unquestionably real characters, including U.S.-educated scientist Kan; his imprisoned Japanese–American wife, Noriko; and vicious Army Lt. Col. Sagara. After Sagara witnesses the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he becomes obsessed with using their “daikon” against the U.S. in retribution. Irresistible storytelling and Nishii’s exceptional performance offer superb listening."

Awesome, truly well researched

Great care and detail on the accuracy of the facts (don’t miss the end credits!), and a very realistic and emotional group of characters

Daikon

An interesting, thrilling, and unique alternative history of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan in WWII. What would have occurred if the United States had three atomic bombs available to drop on Japan, and had lost one of them when the plane carrying it was shot down, with the Japanese recovering it? This is one hell of a story, with fully developed characters, and a narrator who tells the story with a great performance and understanding. The sources and acknowledgment section is well worth the time, with interesting facts and theories. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WWII, and especially the war against Japan.

Historical novel providing a Japanese perspective of the atomic bomb

I was swept up in this fictional account of the critical days before and after the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. My interest swelled after learning that the author drew on the historical record to craft his account. I highly recommend reading it.

Detailed picture of wartime Japan

Detailed picture of wartime Japan and insights into construction of the bomb. It is clear that Japan was devastated by wars end. It is the setting for a love story. I found the book interesting and thought provoking.